The incorporation of air filter units in refrigerators for filtering the air in the refrigerators is well known. Depending on the type of filtering medium employed, the air filter unit may simply act to deodorize the air inside the refrigerator or the unit may deodorize and otherwise sanitize the interior air of the refrigerator by removing contaminants such as mold spores and bacteria, for example, from the interior air.
In some instances the air flow patterns that typically exist within a refrigerator are relied on for moving the air through the air filter unit. In other instances a means for positively displacing air, such as a fan, is directly associated with the air filter unit to insure that a satisfactory volume of air is passed through the unit. Typically, the air-filtering component of the air filter unit is replaceable and, in that case, preferably, will be readily accessible.
It is also customary in modern refrigerators to incorporate auxiliary equipment and devices, such as ice-makers and water dispensers, for example, that enhance the functionality of the refrigerator for consumers. Typically, such auxiliary equipment and devices require service lines to be routed through the interior of the refrigerator. In addition, the auxiliary equipment and devices can include replaceable components such as water filters for the ice-makers and water dispensers, for example.
For a variety of reasons, including aesthetics, the desirability of taking up as little space as possible in the interior of the refrigerator and the accessibility of replaceable components, the configuration of the air filter unit and the system for routing the service lines to the auxiliary equipment and devices, as well as the manner in which the air filter unit, the service lines and the auxiliary equipment and devices are located and arranged within the interior of the refrigerator, is of concern.